


Black Queen

by TheCatThatWrites



Series: The Pearl Necklace [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Batfamily (DCU), Bruce Wayne Needs a Hug, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Court of Owls, Martha Wayne Lives, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:28:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27588857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCatThatWrites/pseuds/TheCatThatWrites
Summary: Alma Bunker. Denverite. Middle class. Single. Loving sister and adoring aunt.Martha Wayne. Gothamite. High class. Widow. Beloved socialite and adoring mother.Ever since they were shot, Alma has become the latter. Now the new Martha Wayne must navigate the world of DC as she tries to make the most of her situation.(No need to read the first prequel, although its recommended)
Series: The Pearl Necklace [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1780123
Comments: 14
Kudos: 85
Collections: A Collection of Beloved Inserts





	1. Normal Nights

**Author's Note:**

> October 30, 2004

After the first five times, being kidnapped loses its novelty. Now I finally understood those victims that managed to crack jokes under life or death situations. These kidnappers hadn't even given me a clue of the motive, so there wasn't much I could do. I mean, I could always get the Necklace to break me out, but...

"Did you hear that?"  
As soon as the man said that, the smoke bomb dropped.

Oh, my dramatic son. 

Still, I couldn't help the pride in my chest from flourishing once I saw him take on all the thugs by himself. Or at least, what I could see through the smoke. A normal mother would've been worried sick, but we had long established that I was anything but.   
Some mothers cheer for their sons as they hit a homerun. I cheered for mine as he knocked a man out. 

Show-off. He absolutely didn't need to do that last flip. With the last thug out, Bruce came for me. I couldn't help the smirk that formed on my face when he started to untie me. 

"You should go home after this," I muttered, "These are no hours to be in the streets and your poor mom must be worried sick".

He had the gall to snort.   
"My beautiful and forgiving mother will understand".   
Flattery will get you nowhere, sweetie. 

He made to carry me but I swated his hand away, "I can walk".  
I walked one step before realizing that my legs had gone numb. I looked back at Bruce only to see him with his arms crossed, waiting patiently for who knows what. He definitely had an eyebrow raised under that cowl. 

Bruce took my sigh as a sign of defeat and carried me out of the warehouse. 

"Br-Batman?"

He only made a questioning noise. 

"Have you ever wondered why there are so many abandoned warehouses in Gotham?" I asked. Sure, sometimes they helped for the Necklace's purposes, but it was still weird.

Bruce only shrugged.


	2. A Meeting And A Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> June 17, 1984

I can count in one hand the times Alma Bunker had tasted alcohol. Secret party, graduation party, date, New Year's party. Right now, I was contemplating on breaking her record. The reason?

"...we understand that you need emotional support in these hard times. And what better emotional support than your family?"

These fuckers.

Fifteen meetings in three days. Waynes, Kanes and everything in between. I was starting to understand where Bruce's relatively short temper had come from.

"...not to mention that your son needs a companion as well. My children, for instance..."

And that was what it all came to, isn't it? The patriarch of the main branch of the family was gone and now the vultures had come. Accept their help and they would claim every relic and treasure they could get their hands on. Deny them and I would become the scheming woman who had taken advantage of her rich husband's death. Unfortunately for them, I had this part covered up.

"Me?"

I nodded at Agatha as I took a sip of my porcelain cup. I had just discovered the wonders of tea and how its calming properties. Thanks, Alfred.  
The young woman before me readjusted herself before replying, "I appreciate the consideration, but surely there are better suited family members ready to help you with the Wayne assets and... everything else. And if not another Wayne, I'm sure your brothers would love to help you."

Agatha Wayne. According to what I had discovered of this world, she is the little sister of my deceased husband. Like her family, she had black hair and dark eyes, with a pale complexion and glowing jewelry. High society, born and raised. Less than stellar relationships with the long gone Jack and Anastasia Wayne. After her boarding school graduation, she moved to Astoria, Oregon, in a fancy house near a river. After a messy divorce just a year ago, she hadn't shown signs of being interested in future suitors. Enjoyed baking and painting. The things you can find out in the rumor mill.  
What I knew beforehand paled in comparison.  
Flashes of an old comic where and old lady of the same name appeared resurfaced in my mind. I had never read it myself, only knowing of its existence due to a Wikipedia reading about Bruce Wayne's family tree.

That old lady visited Bruce and Dick and almost figured out their secret identities. She was saved by Batman and Robin and the crisis was averted. With her role in the story fulfilled, "Aunt Agatha" left the manor and faded into obscurity. Add some time paradoxes and continuity reboots and the woman was as good as dead for the higher ups at DC Comics.  
Well, Agatha seemed pretty alive for me at the moment.

I placed my cup in it's saucer and tried to offer her a smile.  
"One of my brothers has already offered his daughters as playmates for Bruce but no one knows about Wayne business better than a Wayne."  
She seemed ready to protest again but I continued, "Not to mention, that you are part of the main branch. You grew up in these halls and lived under this roof for longer than me. I know we haven't truly interacted for the past few years," an understatement. The other Martha had kept to her side of the family, neglecting to form bonds with her _scary_ relatives, "but I'm asking you to help me. Tommy trusted you the most out of all his family members, so I'm ready to place my trust in you as well."

Thomas barely spoke of his sister, feeling betrayed by the fact that he had been left behind. However, at some point they * _had_ * gotten along.  
Agatha played with a wild strand of her short hair and looked around. For what, I'm not sure.  
After fixing her view on a random painting, she looked back at me, "I had missed this place," she confessed.

"So, will you stay?" I asked.

Agatha lightly nodded before giving me a soft smile, "I will. I'll just need a few days to move my things from Astoria."

I released a sigh I didn't know I'd been holding, "Take all the time you need. I will get Alfred to prepare a room for you-"

"Mom! Where is my-"

Bruce stopped the moment he laid eyes on Agatha. He looked like a deer in the headlights. A great contrast from Agatha, who looked like Christmas had come early.  
Seeing that Bruce wouldn't make a move, I made a motion with my hand for him to come closer.  
"Bruce, this is your aunt, Agatha. She will be staying with us for now on."

Bruce walked a little too fast towards me and held my hand, "Hi," he mumbled. Agatha, for her part, was all sunshines and rainbows.

"Brucie! I hadn't seen you since you were a baby! Don't you remember me? I sang to you the froggy song."

By Bruce's slight (yet cute) frown, it was easy to say he clearly didn't remember the _froggy song_. I decided to save him by offering to show Agatha the available bedrooms myself.

The mere existence of Agatha Wayne said a lot about the way this universe worked. So far, I had been convinced comic book logic ruled the world. How else could one explain the extra personalities of each person I met and their impecable outfits?  
On the other hand, _minor characters_ were more common than one might think. I expected to only be able to interact with the main cast plus important characters, however, I spent most of my time arranging the aftermath of Thomas' funeral, giving breadcrumbs to the media and talking to random relatives.  
Not even the police had shown up to take my account on my husband's murderer!

Of course, I was under no delusions that just because I had hijacked this body, I was the main character of this story. That role belonged and always would to Bruce. Everything that existed was to accommodate his existence (and his fellow Justice League co-workers as well).  
No, I was just a plot device. A means to an end. Everything I chose to do from now on would be used as a footnote for Batman's biography.

If I decided to indulge in my alcoholic desires, I would become an abusive mother who fell apart after her beloved husband's death. Another trauma point to Bruce.  
If I decided to run and don't look back, I would probably make an appearance years later as an exciting adventure to find Batman's missing mother. Oh, joy.  
If I decided to fade to the background and play the role of the kind and sweet mommy who baked cookies, well, ever heard about women in refrigerators?  
If I took my life, we would be back to square one.

It was kind of frustrating, to be honest. It was with those thoughts in mind that I started to look for any information about the Court of Owls.


	3. A Solution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> June 18, 1984

The internet had spoiled me.  
My first instinct once I wanted to research something was to take my phone out, until I realized that:

1\. I didn't have a personal phone since mobile telephones weren't a thing yet.  
2\. Internet as I knew it didn't even exist yet.

Not only did I have to adapt to a different dimension but also to a different time.  
Well, it seems I had to do it the old-fashioned way. The library was the way to go, right? Only that I was pretty sure the Court of Owls wouldn't appear in your regular encyclopedia.

...

Wait. I was a famous person now. A famous person who got involved in a recent scandal. The bystanders would eat me alive. Shit.  
Wait again. I was also a rich person now. Didn't Wayne Manor have a library somewhere?  
The Wayne Family was one of the oldest in Gotham, surely they must have something about the Court.

After wandering for a bit I found it.  
Brown shelves covered almost every wall in the room, filled entirely with all kinds of books. Some of them looked as new as the day they were acquired while others seemed just about to fall apart.  
There was a white fireplace with golden carvings with two black sofas and a cushioned chair facing it. On the wall nearest to me the paintings of people I didn't know hung high, opposite to a a single window that allowed sunlight to come in. Above everything there was a white ceiling with little flower designs decorating it. The carved tables were the most ostentatious thing in the room.

After two hours exploring the shelves, I found four books that seemed promising. Two history books, one book about the crime in Gotham and another one focused on conspiracy theories. If I moved the books around more than necessary in hopes of activating a secret tunnel, then there was no one to watch. Luckily, I had brought a notebook with me to write everything I found.  
I sat down in one of the sofas and began to read.

So far, the books confirmed the obvious. The Court of Owls were an Illuminati-like organization conformed of Gotham's crème de la crème who seeked to control every aspect of everyday society to... what? Become richer? Be more powerful? No one seemed to agree on the objective.  
At some point I had stopped following the comics, so the Court's entire deal wasn't so clear to me.  
I was sure they were just some old money families powered by greed and pride, but then I saw pictures of an issue where it was revealed they were some owl-like monsters...? Apparently they worshipped the god Barbatos and their true plan was to bring him to life... I think.

But didn't that betray their proclaimed goal of taking control into their own hands? Why submit to a random god? Plus, there must have been some human members in the Court.  
Did it depend on the continuity? Which one was the truth of my earth?  
Ugh, there was also the matter of this Talon's identity...

The important thing is that they * _did_ * exist in whatever dimension I had landed in.

The Court would be one of the most headache-inducing enemies to fight in Gotham. By the time Batman realized their existence, they would have eyes in every aspect of gothamite life, not to mention control over every person or organization of importance.  
I was already getting a headache myself.  
I let myself slip deeper into the sofa and stared at the ceiling, barely aknowledging when one of the books fell on the carpet.

I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing there was an underground cult that could kill me at any moment. If the Waynes and Kanes, two of Gotham's most affluent families, weren't part of it, then surely there were other families that weren't  
The other members of Batman's rogue gallery were mostly that: Just individuals who on occasion barely managed to work together. Defeat one and their plan would be foiled.   
The thing about the Court is that they were _multiple_ individuals united against one goal. Defeat one and nothing would change. They would either elect a new leader or continue with their regular agenda.  
One superhero could defeat one supervillain, but no shady political entity has ever been defeated by a slap in the wrist. You would need spies, hitmen, informants, funds...

Heck, you would need a second Court of Owls!

...

The sudden conclusion managed to make me stand up in a jump and accidentally drop the rest of the books and the notebook. I started to pace around the library to organize my thoughts.

The Justice League only managed to solve immediate threats. The Batfamily went deeper but their moral code and public reputation didn't allow them to root out the problem entirely. Neither of those organizations existed at the moment. By the time they did, the issue would be even worse.  
As Martha I had the social standing and resources, including Alma's foreknowledge.  
I would be playing fire with fire but at least I wouldn't drug my enemies and place them in a hellish labyrinth for my own sadistic desires, so I was already better than them.

Absentmindently, I returned the books to their place and made my way to my bedroom, my heels clickling with each step.  
Creating an organization worthy of rivaling the Court of Owls... an Anti-Conspiracy of sorts, would require for me to do connections. Root out those against me and elevate those who favored me.

I had no experience playing political games.  
The closest thing to experience I had was Game of Thrones and I doubted that would help in a "modern" setting.

I looked into my wardrobe and sighed. The other Martha had a preference for sleeping gowns; like a caricature of a rich person. The problem was that she wore skirts and dresses daily, leaving me with a single pair of pants. I needed to make a trip to the clothing store soon.

Once in bed, I realized the craziness of the plan I had conjured.  
"I have finally gone crazy."  
Create a _good_ cult? One capable of standing their ground against the Court?  
I prayed to whatever god ruled DC comics that comic book logic applied in this aspect as well so that building a secret cult would be as easy as creating a school club.

It was a miracle that I managed to fall asleep at all.

* * *

I walked with Andrew into the aquarium. His goatee had grown since I last saw him, but that didn't make him any less cute. What was weird was that he was wearing a complete suit. Then again, this was rumored to be the best aquarium in Gotham so I shrugged it off.

"Have you connected with the cat?" Andrew asked once we got in.  
I once saw a cat behind my middle school building, but hadn't seen him since then.  
"Not yet." I admitted.

"You should work on that," Andrew advised as we got closer to the shark exhibition, "the water will get darker, after all. And birds can't survive underwater, only fishes and stuff."

I wanted to be a stuff, "You're right." I admitted.

Andrew wasn't there anymore, and in his place there was one of those TVs that my english teacher used to roll into the classroom on free days.  
As in cue, Ms. Greener appeared behind the TV and used her remote control to change the settings until thr desired channel appeared.

The screen flicked and an unknown woman with brown hair, dark complexion and sharp eyes appeared. She was using a purple shirt and blue jeans. Miss Mystery Woman just stood there, gazing intensely at me.  
"What are you doing inside the screen?" I asked.

The young woman smiled and her hand traspassed the screen. She was holding out her arm to me. But if Disney had taught me anything, is that you don't accept the deal of a witch.  
"You are the fourth Sandersons sister!"  
I had busted her plan. The woman turned into a puddle in defeat, but the puddle grew bigger and started to drown everyone in the aquarium.

I started to swim until I turned into a mermaid. The next stage of evolution. Andrew also swam beside me as his normal self.  
"I didn't know you could do that." He said with a smile.  
I laughed, "Me neither."

* * *

I could still taste saltwater when I woke up.  
Did I seriously dream I was a mermaid? I thought I had outgrown that kind of dreams. I needed an aspirin.  
I tried to remember the rest of the dream but it was hazy. Maybe the dream was trying to tell me to reconnect with my younger self or something like that.

The manor was always quiet when Bruce went to school. Only the sweep of a broom could be heard here and there. Agatha was going to come in a few days with the rest of her things to move permanently, so there wasn't much to do until then.  
I sat quietly in the dining room as I took my breakfast.

My mind went back to Bruce. The Court of Owls was one thing. I could deal with external threats everyday, but I was no therapist. Trauma was unknown territory to me. Still, there must be something I could do.

And that's how I found myself outside of Bruce's private school as I waited for classes to be over for the day. Alfred had offered to drive me but I wanted some alone time with the kid.  
If someone saw Martha Wayne stop near a stand to buy a map of Gotham City, then no one said anything.  
My erratic driving turned out to be perfect for Gotham, after all.

Bruce was one of the first to come out of the building. He was frowning until he saw me in the car. It was so adorable when his angry frown turned to one of confusion as he came inside.  
Alfred was the one who always picked him up. Thomas was usually working at Wayne Enterprises while Martha was at some social event.  
Well, that was going to change today.

"How was school?" I asked, mimicking the voice my mother always used with my sister and me.  
Bruce glanced at the window as he hugged his backpack. He really didn't expect this.  
"Normal." He muttered.

I started to drive away from the school.  
"What did you do today?" I asked. What did seven year olds learn anyways?

Bruce rummaged his backpack, taking out a piece of paper.  
"I drew the Solar System."  
Huh. I quickly glanced at the picture before returning my eyes to the road. It was nothing exceptional, but clearly above average for someone his age. He had even drawn each meteorite individually.  
I opted for a warm smile, "That looks amazing, Bruce. Wish I drew as well as you when I was your age."

Bruce hummed appreciatively as he tucked the picture back in. He frowned again when he looked through the window.  
"This is not the way home." He pointed out.  
My smile turned into a mischiveous one, "No, it isn't."

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

The mystery lasted seven minutes more as I parked infront of an ice cream shop. It was worth it to see Bruce's eyes sparkle.  
Comic books may have made it impossible for a good therapist to exist but that didn't mean I wouldn't try.

I ordered a Rocky Road while Bruce asked for Vanilla of all flavors.

"Are you sure?" I asked, "They have a wide variety here."

Bruce nodded and took his bland ice cream with him.  
We sat quietly inside the car as we ate our ice cream.  
"I heard there's going to be an origami course next week," I mentioned, "we should go together."

Bruce smiled as he nodded. He started eyeing my ice cream.  
"Do you want to try it?" I asked.

We ended up trading cones. Baby steps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be a slow burn, so bear with me 😅  
> Also, Martha tries to bond with Bruce, yay!


End file.
